


My Brother's Keeper

by Bethofbells



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: Brothers, F/M, Family, Fluff, Hospital, Love, sort of, spoiler warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-29
Updated: 2014-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-17 10:11:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1383688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bethofbells/pseuds/Bethofbells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilery one shot (probably anyway) based on a promo still from Indian BBW. The rest of the summar is in the A/N to save the spoiler free people (although this is really barely even a spoiler at all)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Danny is in the hospital, Richie at his side. He's a little feverish, kind of incoherent. I kept seeing this scene in my head, and I really had no choice but to write it. I don't see there being any additional chapters, but who knows. Tell what you think, I'd love to hear from you. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT TUESDAY!**

Richie Castellano stood in the doorway to the hospital room, his throat uncharacteristically tight as he looked at his older brother, prostrate in the hospital bed across the room. Early morning light filtered through the few errant slits in the blinds, scattering across the cover. He'd never seen Danny like this, so helpless. His skin an ashy pallor, dark circles under his eyes.

Unbidden, a memory flashed before his eyes. Danny sneaking him sweets when he'd had the flu. He'd tucked them under his pillow when their mother wasn't looking, sitting at his bedside reading him the Sunday comics, pointing out the little jokes hidden within the colorful illustrations.

He felt a hand on his back, and quickly turned. A nurse, chart in hand, glanced up at him sympathetically. He cleared his throat, blinking away the tell tale moisture in his eyes. He moved aside, granting her easier access to the room.

Watching her silently, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his chinos, waiting for her to finish whatever she'd come in to do. Her movements were rote, those of a consummate professional, completing tasks she'd done a thousand times. She rested two fingers against Danny's wrist, glancing down at her watch. Satisfied, she picked the chart back up, making a few notations.

She exited the room, nodding in his direction, giving him a shy smile. He followed her out into the hallway, tentatively resting a hand on her forearm, whispering. "How is he?"

She turned, abruptly, surprised by Richie's softly spoken question. Her small smile widened a little. "A bit feverish, and still pretty weak, but I would say much better." She patted his hand still resting on her arm reassuringly. She glanced down at the chart, checking it briefly before looking back up at him. "We just gave him a fever reducer and something to help him sleep. They should kick into effect pretty soon. Why don't you go sit with him for a bit?"

Richie nodded, his hand falling away from her as she turned and continued down the hall.

When his mother had called him, frantic with worry, he'd only been able to discern a few facts from the jumble of incoherent words she'd poured out. Danny was sick, in the hospital even, and they didn't know why, or if it was serious or not. Her panic had been contagious, and he'd dropped everything to come to the hospital.

By some strange coincidence he'd been in New York already, literally walking out of JFK as he'd gotten the call. He'd reassured his mother that he'd be at Danny's side as soon as possible, then called Danny's childhood friend Stevie, asking him to accompany his mother into the city.

The urgency of the situation horrified Richie. His brother had collapsed in the super market, shopping after work last night. Some kind lady had called an ambulance, ignoring Danny's protests that he was fine, just feeling a little under the weather.

When they'd finally gotten him to the hospital, his fever had spiked, and he hadn't been able to communicate anything to the doctors attending to him. Richie had arrived shortly after his admittance, and had been greeted by the terrifying image of Danny lying prostrate on the bed, white as a sheet, a damp sheen of sweat clinging to his clammy skin.

Richie shook his head at the memory, sliding into the chair beside Danny's bed. The situation had definitely seemed direr than it actually was. Eventually a doctor had come around, explaining everything to Richie. A weight lifted off his shoulders when she'd told him Danny would probably be fine. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told his brother how much he'd meant to him growing up. He really had been a surrogate parent, and the very idea of losing him had the power turn his world upside down.

He reached forward, taking Danny's hand, relieved to feel the pleasantly dry skin once again, rather than the cold clammy mess he'd touched last night. Danny stirred at his touch, his eyes fluttering open. "Rich?"

"Yeah, right here, man." He leaned forward, to better hear Danny's sleep thickened voice.

"Awe, Rich, ma's gonna be so mad." Danny swallowed, still sporting a thousand yard stare.

Richie frowned, in confusion. "Nah, she'll be fine. She's on her way."

Danny shook his head. "You can't tell her I snuck out, ok? I promised I wouldn't go to Peter Sandoval's party, let alone stay out past midnight, on a school night." Danny groaned, putting a hand up to his head. "Awe man, she's gonna know I'm hung over, too."

Danny was still clearly delirious, his medication not having kicked in just yet. Richie smiled at him. "You're secret's safe with me."

The words appeared to reassure Danny, his eyes fluttered shut once again, slipping back into a shallow sleep, his eyes darting back and forth beneath their lids.

Richie leaned back, relaxing a bit in the uncomfortable chair, his own eyes drifting shut. He was exhausted. He hadn't slept in two days, and worry had worn him down. Just as he felt himself begin to drift, he heard Danny's voice, once again. This time it was clearer, a statement cutting through Richie's exhaustion.

"It's too soon."

The declaration sounded utterly defeated, and had Richie sitting up once again, gazing at his brother in inquiry. "What?"

"I can't tell her."

Richie frowned. Danny must have been reliving some past experience again, probably in the time he'd been with Christina. Danny's expression was different from before, his eyes not so heavily lidded, a wistful look settling across his features. "I think I love her already."

Richie smiled. Sure, this had to be about Christina. "Oh, go ahead and tell her, what's the worst that could happen?"

Danny didn't turn to him, still staring off at something in the distance. "No. I can't. It's too soon. She doesn't feel the same. She'll leave." Danny sighed deeply. "It's never been like this before. It's too important."

Frowning, Richie leaned forward in his chair. This was fascinating to him. He'd never heard Danny talk about Christina like this. To be honest, he'd always wondered what Danny'd had with her. He'd never seen any spark of real passion between them. "I bet Christina loves you Danny." He wanted to be reassuring, but as the words left his mouth, Danny's brows knitted, his upper lips curled in distaste.

"Why are you talking about Christina?"

"Aren't you talking about her?"

"No."

Richie stared, squinting in his confusion. "Wait.. what? Who are in love with Danny?" Richie was beyond fascinated. Danny was not very talkative when it came to his love life, staying pretty close lipped about most things. Although, in the past there hadn't been much to talk about, relationship wise.

"It doesn't matter. We'll mess it up, we're both a disaster when it comes to relationships. We've only been together a couple weeks, and we've already had a big fight." Danny sighed out the last words, the sedative the nurse had administered, finally beginning to take effect. "We haven't talked in two days. I miss her."

His eyes drifted shut as his breathing evened out, real sleep finally overtaking him. Richie felt a smile pulling at his lips. He'd been worried about Danny, long before this terrifying hospital visit. He could see the loneliness in his features when he visited, hear the wistfulness in his voice when he talked about family.

Danny being in love with someone was the most pleasant news Richie had received in a while, he just wished he could figure out who had inspired such feelings. He chuckled to himself, thinking he'd do whatever he could to make sure Danny didn't "mess" it up.

A knocking against the door frame at his back jerked his attention away from his brother. He turned to see his brother's colleague standing in the doorway, the vibrant Indian woman, who always seemed to be around when Richie visited.

Lines of tension pulled at her face, worry clearly wearing on her. "Is he…?" She nodded to Danny, her words coming out in a whisper.

Richie rose from his chair, reaching forward to greet Mindy, grasping her hand in his as he drew her to the bedside, offering her his chair. "He's asleep, the nurse gave him something to help with the fever, and to get him to rest."

Mindy took the seat, leaning forward, forgetting that Richie was standing beside her. She placed one hand against Danny's face, threading the fingers of her other hand through his own. "He's so pale." The words came out strangled. She stopped herself and cleared her throat, looking back at Richie, unable to hide the glistening in her eyes.

Full understanding settled over Richie. It made perfect sense, and in all honestly he was surprised he hadn't guessed for himself. He smiled at her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Looks worse than it is. He's fine, just needs some rest, some time for the medication to work."

She nodded, pursing her lips, not trusting her voice, her lip quivering slightly. "They tried calling me, but my phone was off. I didn't even know until this morning." She sighed. "How could he get so sick without really noticing? I mean, he had to be feeling ill for days. He's a doctor. It's so irresponsible." Her worry, so difficult to process, transformed easily into irritation, a feeling she was more familiar with.

Suddenly she was very weary, the fight going out of her. Richie, sympathetic to her plight, lifted his watch, checking the time. "It's really early yet. I think I'll make a coffee run. Want anything?"

She smiled at him. "A cappuccino would be great… and maybe a bearclaw or something?" She looked at him hopefully, biting her bottom lip, holding back a smile before she turned to Danny. "I haven't had breakfast."

"Me neither. I'll be back soon." Richie strode out of the room, tucking his hands back into his pockets, smiling as he hurried down the hall, and broad smile spreading across his face. Danny was so wrong. It wasn't too soon at all.


	2. CH 2

**A/N: Update! Real quick, before Tuesday. :D I have decided that I love Danny's family, and I want them to love Mindy. That's pretty much all this is. :D Please, please, please, I hope everyone who reads this feels free to leave comments of any sort. Suggestions? Flailing? Fangirling? Please do. I love this fandom.  
**

"Ma! Ma! Will you stop? Relax. He's fine. He'll be fine." Richie reached forward to still his mother's hand at the elevator doors. She was frantically hitting the up button, getting irritated when the doors still hadn't opened.

She turned to her son, hands on hips. "I think it's broken. Show me where the stairs are."

She spun around before Richie could stop her, and marched down the hall searching. He ran after her, hearing the ding of the elevator doors behind him. "Ma! Stop, they're open."

She was rambling as she made her way back to the elevators. "But he's my baby, Richie. You don't understand. I love you two so much." Looking distraught, she reached up to take Richie's face in her hand, squeezing his cheeks a bit. "It hurts, that's how much I love you two. You have _got_ to take care of yourself, always. I can't handle this."

She sighed, letting him go. "How could he let this happen?" Staring dejectedly at the elevator doors closing in front of her.

Richie snorted, hearing an echo of Mindy's worried words in his mother's thought. She turned to him, a frown on her face. "What are you snickering at?"

"It's not like it's his fault that he got sick, ma. I'm sure he would have avoided it if he could. Doctors aren't immune to disease."

He was still grinning at her, in that crooked way that was typical of both of her sons. Maria Castellano hated and loved that smile. It was their father's smile, one that she remembered from good times, but also tore at her heart when Alan had left. She saw their father in both of her boys. "And that's funny how?"

Richie laughed again. "It's not, you just… God, that's exactly what his girlfriend said when she came to visit."

Maria's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Girlfriend? What? Danny has a girlfriend?" She grabbed Richie by the collar, pulling him down to her short stature so she could look him in the eye. "Danny told you about his new girlfriend and not me?"

Richie carefully extricated himself from his mother's grasp, mentally cursing himself for letting his assumption slip. "Well, not exactly. I don't know if she's his girlfriend. He was saying some weird things when he was feverish, and then she showed up, looking more worried than anyone I'd ever seen. I just assumed."

She harrumphed, clearly dissatisfied. "I would know if Danny had a girlfriend. He calls me all the time, even comes by for dinner occasionally, unlike some sons. "

"Ma! I live in Florida. I can't just fly back once a month to have dinner with you."

"Danny would."

Richie shook his head, attempting to get back to the topic at hand. "And, why would you know about it? You've never liked the girls he's dated."

The indignant expression on his mother's face nearly sent Richie into a gale of laughter. Her mouth had fallen open, her eyes wide. "What? That's not true."

Richie rolled his eyes when he thought she wasn't looking. "Ma, you know it's true. You never called Christina by her name. You alternately referred to her as 'the blonde one' and 'the picture girl.' "

Her mouth slowly closed, and she looked away, thoughtfully contemplating the doors in front of her once again. "Well, that may be true, but she was a bad choice for him." She sighed. "Sometimes people make bad choices when it comes to love. I just don't like seeing him hurt like that." She leaned her head on Richie's shoulder. "Or you. You tell Ramón to mind his P's and Q's."

Richie laughed, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry. Ramón knows he'd have to answer to you and Danny if he broke my heart."

The elevator doors opened and Richie led his mother toward Danny's room, slowing as they got closer. He peaked around the open hospital door, holding his mother at bay for a second. Pulling her aside, he whispered, "Look, she's in there right now. Be nice. I don't actually know if there's anything between them, but she really cares about Danny."

She pulled away from him, indignant expressions back in place as she straightened her jacket. "I'm always nice."

Richie sighed, hoping this would go smoothly.

* * *

Maria strode through the doors, a stern expression her face, prepared to give this new girl the third degree, but when she saw her son lying on the bed, looking so helpless, all thoughts of anyone else immediately vanished.

She rushed to his side, bustling Mindy out of the way, barely noting how she'd been holding his hand. She leaned over him, taking her face in his hands. "Oh, my baby, you're so sick. How could you let this happen? You're a doctor." Her hands moved away from his face, giving him a little pat down, making sure nothing else was wrong.

She turned to Richie. "When's the last time they checked his temp? He still feels warm. Have they even given him anything for it? Who runs this place?"

Maria felt a hand on her arm, she glanced at it, noting the perfectly manicured fingers. "A nurse was just in here. She gave him something for it. He's been sleeping all day, it's for the best right now. He needs to recuperate."

Mindy had adopted the tone she usually reserved for patients. It was calm and soothing, while being firm enough to convey a feeling of authority. "I think he's feeling a lot better. He definitely looks better."

Maria took the seat vacated by Mindy, suddenly forgetting her need to assess the woman before her. She felt tears in her eyes. She couldn't think about what it would be like to actually lose her son. Mother's shouldn't ever have to think about that. She reached forward, taking Mindy's hand in hers. "Thank you, dear." She looked over at her other son. "Richie, make yourself useful and go find another chair for…." She paused, realizing she didn't know the girl's name.

"Mindy. I'm, uh, Danny's colleague."

"Mindy? You're _the_ Mindy?" Maria's eyes sparkled, as though she were holding back laughter. "Oh, this is just perfect."

Richie rolled his eyes, yet again, as he left the room in search for a chair, feeling sorry for Mindy as a look of confusion swept across her face.

"Perfect?"

Maria chuckled. "Oh, it's nothing. Well, not really nothing. Danny talks about you all the time when he calls me." Looking back to her son, she continued. "You drive him absolutely nuts."

Mindy's face fell. "Oh." She shook her head, letting the feeling of disappointment roll off of her, pasting on a smile of false cheer. "Well, he gives as good as he gets." She cleared her throat, suddenly realizing she probably shouldn't be speaking ill of someone lying unconscious in a hospital bed. "I mean, uh, I just try to get him to do fun things. He's not always cooperative."

"You made him do yoga."

"Well, he gets so wound up about things. I thought it would help."

Maria nodded, a secretive smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "He said you made him go to a live performance of West Side Story in Central Park."

"Oh, you know he loves that kind of thing, he just won't admit it. Rita Moreno as 'Anita' is the wallpaper on his computer. He complained the whole time, but I know."

Maria, reached forward to brush the hair across Danny's head. "Mmm hmm. He does love it." Without looking away she continued. "He's always been like that. Almost afraid of enjoying himself. It's as though he thinks if he likes something too much, it'll be taken away."

Maria looked back at the young woman beside her. Mindy had fallen silent, gazing down at Danny, her eyes big as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I…"

Richie came through the door, out of breath, toting a chair. Mindy snapped out of her thoughts when he plunked it down next to his mother's. He looked over at Mindy. "Ma giving you a hard time?"

Maria rolled her eyes, consciously mimicking her younger son. "Of course not. Why would I do that?" She patted Mindy on the shoulder. "I like her."

Mindy felt a swell of affection start in her chest as she settled into the chair beside Maria. It was odd to her, really, meeting Danny's family like this. Her interactions with Richie before had been very short, and she hadn't really gotten to know him. She couldn't believe that she'd never met Casey's family. She had almost married him, and she wouldn't have been able to tell you anything about his mother or father.

With Danny, it was as though all the relationship milestones were zipping by. Everything sort of happened out of order. That first kiss? Well, it should have happened ages ago. She recognized the missed opportunities and bitterly regretted them.

How many times had they been on double dates, and yet mysteriously ended up together at the end of the night? For months now, every time she had a personal crisis, she'd ran to him, and he'd actually begun to do the same. Of course he'd kidnapped her in L.A., he'd needed her, and if she hadn't been so wrapped up in her own stuff she'd have seen it before.

Now, she was sitting here, basking in the warmth of his family's affection, gazing at him. She couldn't fathom being happier, even though she hated that he was sick. They'd fought recently, but suddenly their argument seemed so misguided. She sighed, wishing she could apologize immediately.

She fidgeted with her necklace, looking down at it. For the first time in her life, she was speechless. Knowing Danny's mother liked her made her feel like a child again, almost bashful. "I like you too." It seemed like a lame response, but it was true. "I can see why Danny loves his family so much."

Maria nodded at her, taking Mindy's hand once again. "We love him right back." She winked.

Before Mindy could respond, her attention was caught by a rustling at the bed. Danny was shifting uncomfortably in his sleep, constrained by the blankets tucked tightly at his side and the I.V. line taped to his arm. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around the room in confusion. "Ma?"

Maria squeezed his hand reassuringly, and he turned his gaze to Mindy. "Min?" Her name came out softly, wrapped in mass of confusion. He blinked, trying to clear the sleep from his brain. When he opened his eyes again, he looked back at her, as though he thought might not be real. Seeing her again, his shoulders visibly relaxed and his head dropped back down to the pillow.


End file.
